Beet-ing the “What Do I Do With These?” Question

Beets can be a little intimidating if you’re not used to cooking them, but they’re actually incredibly versatile. They can go sweet, savory, crunchy, creamy, or even sneak their way into baked goods. Here are a few of our favorite ways to use them:

  1. Get them nice and roasted. Cut beets into bite-size pieces, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until tender with those delicious caramelized edges. If you think you’re not a beet person, this is a good place to start!
  2. Toss them into a salad. Roasted beets are especially good with peppery greens, creamy goat cheese or feta, crunchy nuts, and a bright vinaigrette. The combination of tangy + creamy + earthy is hard to beat. Check out this incredibly simple Beet Apple Salad
  3. Give your baked goods a makeover. Purée cooked beets and add them to homemade pancakes or bagel dough for naturally vibrant, rosy-pink bagels. It’s a fun one if you’re looking for something a little unexpected. Here’s a recipe we love for Red Beet Pancakes
  4. Bake them into chocolate treats. Cooked, puréed beets can add moisture and a touch of sweetness to chocolate muffins or brownies. And let’s be honest—once chocolate enters the picture, the beet skeptics usually come around.
  5. Whip up beet hummus. Blend cooked beets with chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, and a little olive oil for a beautiful pink dip. Serve with pita, crackers, or your favorite crunchy veggies.
  6. Turn your rice pink! Shred or chop up a single beet into tiny pieces and cook the whole time with your rice or quinoa and it will turn a beautiful pink color and you wont even taste the beet at all! Check out the recipe here.
  7. Make a quick refrigerator pickle. Slice cooked beets and cover them with a simple mixture of vinegar, salt, a little sweetness, and your favorite spices. After some time in the fridge, they’re ready to pile onto salads, sandwiches, grain bowls, and more.
  8. Turn them into veggie burgers. Beets make a surprisingly delicious addition to homemade plant-based burgers, especially when paired with hearty ingredients like mushrooms, beans, grains, or nuts.
  9. Keep them raw. Young, fresh beets are wonderful grated or shredded into a salad. Try combining them with carrots, apples, cabbage, or fresh herbs and finishing everything with a lemony or vinegar-based dressing.
  10. Juice them for a vitamin boost. They’re great paired with oranges or carrots!
  11. Blend one into a smoothie. A small amount of beet can add gorgeous color and natural sweetness without taking over the whole smoothie. Try it with berries, banana, orange, lemon, or fresh ginger. Here’s a Pink Beet Smoothie Recipe that rocks!